A three-year-old girl in Austin, Texas, is recovering after a severe dog attack that left her with extensive facial injuries requiring more than 150 stitches. The incident occurred on July 25, when the child was reportedly mauled by her grandparents' dog.
Rachel Gibbs, the child's mother and a social media influencer with 500,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram, shared the event on Instagram, describing it as the "worst and scariest day of her life." According to Gibbs, she and her mother were in the kitchen when the dog attacked her daughter as she walked past.
"Full on mauling," Gibbs stated in a video shared with her followers. The injuries extended from the top of the child's eye, through her hairline, and across the back of her head. Gibbs herself sustained a bite to the leg during the incident.
The child was immediately transported to a hospital, where she underwent surgery with a facial reconstructive surgeon. While she has since been released, her eye was swollen shut. Gibbs expressed gratitude that the attack did not impact the child's optical nerves or glands, noting that the lasting effects will primarily be the scar and the trauma.
"She's going to have her own little Harry Potter scar, which is perfect cause her name is Hazel Paige, and she was named after Harry Potter," Gibbs said.
Gibbs, who owns two German Shepherd mixes, also shared her newfound anxiety about her own dogs following the incident. She requested supportive messages and advice regarding her daughter's recovery, stating that her primary focus is her child and not the dog or the circumstances of the attack.
Dog bites are a significant concern in the United States, with the Humane Society reporting approximately 4.7 million incidents annually, over half of which involve children. Data from the CDC indicates that dog attacks often occur in familiar settings during routine activities, and an estimated 77 percent of the involved dogs are owned by the victim's family or friends.